Two campaign workers testify against former Sen. Ernie Newton of Bridgeport

Two campaign workers for former state Sen. Ernie Newton testified Thursday that they never contributed money to Newton's campaign, even though they were listed as contributors on official state forms.

One of the workers, Zena L. Galberth of Bridgeport, said she knew that she was doing something wrong.

"We were asked to sign some papers, which I really didn't like," Galberth testified in Newton's trial on campaign finance fraud charges. "We were asked to sign something that was untrue. ... We were asked to sign a paper that we gave $100 to the campaign."

Galberth, 47, said she did not have $100 to contribute to a political campaign because she has been unemployed for the past 10 years due to a disability.

"I didn't like the idea, but we signed it, anyway,'' Galberth testified in Superior Court in Hartford. "I didn't really read it at all, and I wish I did. ... I didn't read it. I just signed it.''

The form, complete with Galberth's name, address, and telephone number, said she had contributed $100 to Newton's campaign.

Newton, an outspoken former Democratic senatory from Bridgeport who served nearly five years in federal prison in a separate corruption case, is facing trial on seven counts of larceny, witness tampering, and illegal practices in campaign financing. He turned down a plea bargain offer that would have sent him to prison for three years, and is now heading into the fourth day of his trial that resumes Friday.

The state is charging that Galberth was one of five campaign workers whose names appeared on official forms but never actually contributed to Newton's campaign.

Galberth was working on the campaign with a friend, Vincent Derr, 27, of Bridgeport. Derr also testified Thursday that he never contributed money to the campaign. But he said he signed a form on his first day on the job — July 17, 2012 — that stated that he contributed $100.

July 17 is a key date in the trial because it was the day that state officials notified the Newton campaign that it was about $500 short of the amount needed to qualify for state matching funds.

The state said Newton had raised $14,500 instead of the minimum of $15,000, which is the total that entitled the candidate to receive more than $80,000. The prosecution argues that the campaign was never entitled to receive the money, and Newton has been charged with a felony count of first-degree larceny in connection with receiving the state's money.

Derr signed a statement in August 2012 that was witnessed by state investigator Charles E. Urso, a former FBI agent for 26 years who handled federal investigations against former Gov. John G. Rowland and former state Treasurer Paul Silvester.

"I was asked to sign the form by Mr. Newton and was told I didn't have to provide any money,'' Derr's statement said. "I did not contribute any money. I also saw a woman I know, Zena, also signed the same form.''

Newton's attorney, Darnell D. Crosland of Stamford, objected "for the purposes of appeal," saying that Derr had simply signed the statement that had been handwritten by an investigator.

Earlier Thursday, Newton's campaign treasurer testified that she purposely kept Newton away from campaign money in his 2012 primary race and never conspired with him to do anything illegal.

Loretta Williams testified that she strictly followed the finance regulations and would not permit Newton to become personally involved in the finance paperwork.

"I wouldn't allow him to touch the money or the contribution forms,'' Williams told the jury.